Social prescribing teams work across north Southwark and comprises of 10 social prescribing link workers, including two team leaders.  Each link worker is assigned to a group of GP surgeries within one of our five neighbourhoods.  Link worker support offers patients an additional, personalised route to improving their health over the longer-term by utilising the rich and diverse range of community services and voluntary sector organisations in our area. You can meet the social prescribing team here!

This is a service that offers fitting/removal of contraceptive implants and coil fittings.

Available Wednesdays afternoons 4.00pm – 7:30pm

Medical Examinations (Non NHS)

Certain services provided by the Doctors are not covered by the NHS and fees are payable for such items as:

• Large Good Vehicle (LGV) & Passenger Service Vehicle (PSV) licences
• Elderly driver licences
• Insurance
• Preemployment medicals
• Private certificates
• Holiday vaccinations
• Insurance claims
• Fitness for sports

Please ask the receptionist for such services. Charges are payable at the time of attendance, and the British Medical Asssociation (BMA) recommended scale of fees is on display at the reception desk. For further information please see Why does my doctor charge fees?

A current list of fees is displayed in our Waiting Area. It you have any queries regarding these, please enquire at Reception.

Medical Certificates

Self certificates are available from your employer for sickness of up to one week. Any certificate required from the Doctor for periods up to the first week can only be provided as a private certificate for which there is a charge.

We are happy to deal with all enquiries regarding foreign travel, including vaccinations recommended and general advice. If you are planning to travel abroad, please contact the surgery 6 to 8 weeks or more prior to travel in order to allow sufficient time for your required vaccination course. We provide a wide range of travel vaccinations (except Yellow Fever).

Travel Vaccinations

If you require any vaccinations relating to foreign travel:

Please ensure you give us at least 6 weeks notice if this is not the case it is unlikely we will be able to offer you an appointment at the practice and you will have to attend an external travel clinic.

• You will need to complete a Travel Risk Assessment form (also available at reception) and return the form to reception. Your destination(s) with details of areas within countries that you are visiting, length of stay at each location, and your contact details (including your email address)
• A member of our nursing team will then contact you via email. They will make a recommendation (having checked your immunisation record) about what you need and also suggest next steps.

There is further information about countries and vaccinations required on at Travel Health Pro.

It is important that you contact us at least 6 weeks before you travel as some vaccines have to be ordered as they are not stock items.

Some travel vaccines are ordered on a private prescription and these incur a charge over and above the normal prescription charge. This is because not all travel vaccinations are included in the services provided by the NHS.

Anti Malarials

Anti Malarials can no longer be given on NHS prescription

Recent changes in Southwark mean that unfortunately GPs can no longer prescribe malaria prevention medicines for travel on NHS prescriptions, but can do so on private prescriptions. Please contact us for charges.

Travelling in Europe

See travelling to Europe the EU for further information.

Travel health advice leaflet

Please download our travel advice leaflet detailing some simple dos and don’ts to help keep you healthy and safe whilst on holiday.

Travel advice about Zika

Zika Virus Country Specific Risk

Health Conditions Zika Virus

Useful Information

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/travel-vaccinations

We offer the following services

• Screening for sexually transmitted infections e.g. chlamydia, Gonorrhoea for men and women.
• Testing for HIV infection
• Treatment of infections
• Sexual Health advice and information
• Pregnancy testing and advice
• Fertility and infertility advice
• Emergency contraception (the “morning after pill”)

We are involved in the National Chlamydia screening programme for those under 25 years.

Please note that all consultations are CONFIDENTIAL and this includes patients under the age of 16 years.

Please book an appointment with either a doctor or nurse.

If you have just found out that you are pregnant, you can now refer yourself to the maternity services at Guy’s & St Thomas’ OR at King’s College Hospital. Please do so as soon as you have found out that you are pregnant. You should hear back from the hospital and have a midwife appointment at 10 weeks. If you have a long-term condition such as diabetes, hypertension, thyroid problems, please see a GP for us to refer you and amend medications etc.

If you are already pregnant and seeing our midwife colleagues, please note that their clinic has now moved to the Artesian Health Centre, 138 Grange Road, London, SE1 3GF . All midwife appointments now take place at the Artesian, rather than at Albion Street.

Additional information can also be found in the ‘Your pregnancy and baby guide‘ on the NHS Website.

Advanced Nurse Practitioner

An Advanced Nurse Practitioner is a registered nurse who has received additional university education to increase their ability to treat, diagnose, counsel and educate patients. The Advanced Nurse Practitioner can also provide the information you may need to better manage your health or condition.

Advanced Nurse Practitioners are trained to see patients of any age with new onset health problems. You will need to see a Doctor if you have complex health problems. The receptionist will be able to advise on suitability. The ANP is able to issue a prescription if necessary.

What can Advanced Nurse Practitioners help with?

You can see an Advanced Nurse Practitioner for

Abdominal pain

Acne

Allergies

Asthma

Back Pain (Acute)

Burns

Chronic Obstructive Airways Disease (COPD)

Constipation

Contraception queries and prescriptions

Coughs, Colds and Chest Infections

Diarrhoea / Vomiting

Ear Infections

Eczema

Emergency Contraception

Eye problems

Fever

Hay Fever

Headaches

Head Injuries

Head Lice

Hemorrhoids (Piles)

Indigestion

“Morning After Pill”

Minor Injuries

Sinusitis

Skin Infections – Impetigo

Skin Rashes

Sore Throats

Sprains

Thrush

Urinary Tract Infections

Worms

Wounds

You will need to see a GP for:

Coughing / vomiting blood

Having Convulsions

Bleeding profusely from any orifice

Pregnant

Sick note

Severe Chest Pains or difficulty breathing

Sudden loss of sight

Additional Information

The above lists are guides only please ask the receptionist if you are unsure who you need to see.

Local pharmacies also provide a minor illness service offering advice for minor ailments.

Practice Nurses and Health Care Support Workers

Our Practice Nurses and Healthcare Assistants hold surgeries by appointment only. Between them they perform a wide range of services including:

• Blood pressure checks
• Stitch removal
• Ear syringing
• Immunisations
• Travel vaccinations
• Cervical smears
• Exercise on prescription referrals
• ECGs
• Dressings
• Urine Tests
• Contraception
• Flu Vaccination (usually during September and October)
• Weight advice
• Health checks
• Spirometry
• Chronic Disease Management
• Management Longterm Conditions including: Diabetes, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Elderly assessment for patients with multiple conditions

Drs Marsh and Humphrey offer a very limited range of minor surgical procedures. Please book an appointment to discuss this with the doctor. A number of doctors offer joint injections for various conditions, please contact reception for further information.

General contraceptive advice

All the GPs are trained to discuss all forms of contraception, although if you are specifically interested in the contraceptive Implants or IUDs (Intrauterine Device. A device inside your uterus, also known as coils) we recommend booking with Dr. Thacker, Dr Seyfollahi or Dr Browne as they are trained to fit them (please see below for further information). Dr Doble is able to help with implants but not IUDs. We have specially trained family planning nurses who can be seen if you have already been started on a pill or injection and are not having any problems. They can also help with sexual health screening and smear tests. Free condoms are available on request from the GPs or nurses.

Contraceptive pills, patches, rings and injections (Depo)

All GPs are able to prescribe these and administer the contraceptive injection. If you have been using these for several months or years and have no problems, you can also book to see the nurse for continuing with these forms of contraception.

Contraceptive Implant

If you would like a contraceptive implant inserted or removed, you will need to speak to a GP first, and it would be best to do that with a GP who inserts and removes them (Dr. Thacker, Dr Seyfollahi, Dr Browne or Dr Doble).

You can either book a face to face appointment, or a telephone appointment. The GP will discuss what’s involved and will arrange an appointment at a later date to insert or remove. Feel free to book an appointment to discuss even if you are not completely sure of your choice.

Coils and Intrauterine systems (IUS)

If you would like an IUD inserted, you will need to speak to a GP first and it would be best to do that with a GP who inserts them (Dr. Thacker, Dr Seyfollahi, Dr Browne). We recommend booking a face to face appointment for this. The doctor will discuss what’s involved and will arrange an appointment at a later date to insert it if you wish to do so.

Feel free to book anappointment to discuss even if you are not completely sure of your choice.

If you wish to have an IUD or IUS removed, you can book any appointment with the above GPs to do so without a prior appointment. Please be aware if you do not wish to become pregnant you should not have unprotected sex seven days before it is removed.

We recommend that most women have a smear every three years. These can be done by any GP or by the specially trained practice nurses in their appointments.

Cervical screening (smear) tests are offered to all women between the ages of 25 and 65 who have a cervix. Further information on this including how often smears are offered can be found on the NHS website and on the Jo’s trust website.

Please note that we can offer Saturday appointments for smears at our hub clinic at Bermondsey Spa.

It is usual to receive a reminder letter in the post when your smear is due but if you are not sure when you last had one or are concerned it is overdue please speak to the practice nurse so that we can check.

If you have previously lived abroad and not been part of the NHS cervical screening programme you may be due a smear according to our records despite having had one recently in another country.

Many women feel apprehensive about having a smear test. If you have particular questions or concerns please do feel free to book an appointment to discuss these with one of our practice nurses who are all very experienced.

Women who do not wish to participate in the cervical screening programme need to sign a disclaimer form in order to be removed from the database and stop getting reminders. If you have previously signed a disclaimer but then change your mind your smears can be restarted at any point.

NHS cervical screening Helping you decide

NHS cervical screening Helping you decide leaflet.

Informed consent for withdrawal from the Cervical Screening Programme

Informed consent for withdrawal form.

If you have any uncertainty at all about whether to have a smear you should discuss this with a nurse or doctor before completing the form.